Although Ferraris are commonly associated with the colour red, Rosso Corsa to be specific, the company has always enjoyed a catalogue of fantastic colours throughout its history to suit the tastes of discerning owners. In the case of Ferrari’s flat twelve-cylinder models, the Berlinetta Boxers and Testarossas, Rosso Corsa by far outnumbered all other colours selected by their original owners, despite more interesting colours remaining available. While red may have been all the rage in the 1970s and 1980s, enthusiasts today are keen to find cars in rarer shades, allowing them to stand out in the proverbial sea of red.
Falling midway through 512 BB production, chassis number 25571 was invoiced to Maranello Concessionaires in November of 1978 and retained by them as a dealer demonstrator. It was finished in Azzurro Metallizzato, an exceptionally rare colour on any 512 BB; only six of the UK-delivery RHD 512 BBs were finished in this hue. Sold privately in 1979 once it completed its duties as Maranello Concessionaires’ demonstrator, chassis no. 25571’s earliest recorded private owner was Bob Houghton, the founder of the well-known Ferrari specialist workshop in Cheltenham that bears his name, who acquired the car in October of 1982. Houghton owned the car for two years before selling it to James Michael Jones, also of Cheltenham, who retained the car for a further two years before selling to Carlo Maiello of Richmond in 1986, by which point the car had already been repainted red.
It was in Maiello’s ownership that the 512 BB was featured in the book The Complete Ferrari by Roger Hicks and Keith Bluemel, published in 1994. Remaining with Maiello for over a decade, the car has come to call the south of England home ever since his acquisition, passing through a total of eleven owners over the past forty-five years. The car was restored in 2005, at which point the interior was retrimmed in its current black leather with an alcantara dash.
In 2015, chassis no. 25571 was granted Ferrari Classiche certification, confirming that it retains its original chassis, engine, and gearbox. During that process, the car’s original colour of Azzurro Metallizzato was confirmed, and it was later decided that the car would be stripped to bare metal and brought back to its original hue. As one would expect, it presents beautifully throughout, perfectly complimenting Pininfarina’s exceptional design.
The accompanying history file extensively chronicles its last twenty years in terms of restoration and service work, showcasing that this 512 BB has been looked after on a regular basis by well-known marque specialists in recent years. The last cambelt change was carried out by Foskers in March of 2022, showing 22,895 miles at the time, meaning that the car has been driven less than 1,000 miles since. Furthermore, it is believed to have been driven less than 24,500 miles from new. The car’s last annual service was undertaken in March of 2023, also by Foskers, with further tuning work undertaken in December 2023. The car was fitted with new speakers and a new radio with Bluetooth functionality, adding to the car’s overall enjoyment over long drives.
The car has twice been invited to exhibit at the London Concours, first in 2019 and most recently at the 2024 event, where it was proudly displayed and very well received. BB512s are rarely found in such exceptional condition, and this car is ready to be driven and enjoyed with its next custodian. This is a wonderful example of Ferrari’s iconic Berlinetta Boxer in an exceptionally rare colour, even more so in RHD configuration, and should not be overlooked.
